This Is How Often You Should Replace Your Makeup Brushes and Sponges

We're just one day into summer, which means you're probably in reset mode. There are plenty of ways to usher in a "new season, new me" attitude, but there's something especially gratifying about spring cleaning your personal space.

And regardless of how extensive or minimal your beauty routine is, replacing your makeup tools should be a part of that ritual. Ever wake up to a surprise pimple or breakout and wonder how it got there, in spite of your careful and calculated routine? Dirty brushes and sponges could be the culprit. Even if they still look presentable, the amount of germs festering on top of them only spreads in the summer heat. Forget about an ill-placed lash or mismatched foundation.

One of the biggest mistakes makeup wearers are guilty of is using tools way beyond their expiration date. According to Jean Baik, founder of MISS A (a website that sells beauty essentials for $5 or less!), weekly washes or spot cleaning will elongate their life and save you money in the long run.

"Dust and dirt will collect on your makeup brushes and you don’t want to put that back on your face!," she says. When cleansing your makeup brushes, "Wet the brush hair and put a little dab of brush cleaning soap or baby shampoo. Rinse under water and squeeze out access water. Lay flat to dry on a towel."

For those who like to layer on their faves everyday, there's also new wave of tools that this process to the next level, like the AOA Brush Cleaning Egg. Consider it the heavy duty makeup equivalent of a car wash, where you brush your tool back and forth to remove all signs of pigment. At the same time, if you notice that the bristles on your tools are beginning to fall out, Baik says that's a telltale sign that you need to trash them. But at the end of the day, "if you take good care of your brushes by washing them properly, you really don’t have to replace them very often; especially good quality brushes."

On the other hand, sponges require a bit more attention. For starters, if you've been using the same one since spring, it's time to say goodbye. "I replace my Wonder Blender sponge every 2-3 weeks...I always use a new one when some of the darker stains don’t come out after washing or little pieces of the sponge start to break off."

The cleansing routine is similar to brushes, since you simply need to use a brush cleaning soap or facial cleanser to wash and squeeze to rinse until water run clears. However, remember to keep your sponge elevated in something like the Wonder Blender Holder so it can completely dry. Happy cleaning!

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It's time to play with some foundation, guys. [MUSIC] [UNKNOWN] there's multiple formulas. We have creams, we have some powers, some liquids. So this is not my color. [LAUGH] Too dark? It's too like the undertone is red. That's one of the problems with foundation that I find the most is they'll have like our colors, colors in quotes, but the undertones are just really wrong, like really, really wrong. Yeah. I have a formula that I like. One of their shades works really well for me in the winter time, but it's more yellow. and then the shade up from it is ginger. And it has just a little bit more orange-red in it. Yeah. But not like stark red, stark orange. And it looks really good in the summertime. Yeah. When I'm glowing and such. Yeah. Wait, I need help. [LAUGH] [LAUGH] How do I put this on? Ooh, Fantasy Milk. [INAUDIBLE] It has like a roller. I think you have to keep pushing it. [SOUND] So, here you go. Thank you. Just try that one. Okay. This might be for you. For me? Maybe. [MUSIC] Not this one. Wow girl, what is this? That does not look like the same in the bottle. Can you hand me that? So if I needed a foundation that was affordable but still good quality, what is a good brand you would recommend? I really like Loreal. Maybelline has good ones. If you want more of a color range, you have trouble finding your match, Iman is really good. And all of those are under $10. And truth be told, my favorite Powder that I use is $8. And I have access to the $100 one so that says something. Which one is this? This is the number ten of Giorgio Armani but it's too grey. [SOUND] If you ever swatch and look grey just That's not it. It's not the color. She said that's not it. [LAUGH] How important is a primer when you're putting on foundation? I personally don't use a primer. But I mean, it does what it's supposed to do. In the summer, I would probably say it's more useful. I mean, none of us here are caking it on. But for those that do a primer, it's good, because it will keep everything in place. It won't get cakey, or blotchy, or weird, What's the best way to apply your makeup. So if you use your fingers, a lot of experts say it's good, because [INAUDIBLE] adds warmth to the foundation, so it sits more as a second skin. You could use a beauty blender, or a sponge, or you can use a brush. I personally like my fingers, I just feel like it looks more natural. What do you guys use? A brush I use a brush. I use a brush too. I'm outvoted. Well this was fun, I think we all found a shade, or [MUSIC]

It's time to play with some foundation, guys. [MUSIC] [UNKNOWN] there's multiple formulas. We have creams, we have some powers, some liquids. So this is not my color. [LAUGH] Too dark? It's too like the undertone is red. That's one of the problems with foundation that I find the most is they'll have like our colors, colors in quotes, but the undertones are just really wrong, like really, really wrong. Yeah. I have a formula that I like. One of their shades works really well for me in the winter time, but it's more yellow. and then the shade up from it is ginger. And it has just a little bit more orange-red in it. Yeah. But not like stark red, stark orange. And it looks really good in the summertime. Yeah. When I'm glowing and such. Yeah. Wait, I need help. [LAUGH] [LAUGH] How do I put this on? Ooh, Fantasy Milk. [INAUDIBLE] It has like a roller. I think you have to keep pushing it. [SOUND] So, here you go. Thank you. Just try that one. Okay. This might be for you. For me? Maybe. [MUSIC] Not this one. Wow girl, what is this? That does not look like the same in the bottle. Can you hand me that? So if I needed a foundation that was affordable but still good quality, what is a good brand you would recommend? I really like Loreal. Maybelline has good ones. If you want more of a color range, you have trouble finding your match, Iman is really good. And all of those are under $10. And truth be told, my favorite Powder that I use is $8. And I have access to the $100 one so that says something. Which one is this? This is the number ten of Giorgio Armani but it's too grey. [SOUND] If you ever swatch and look grey just That's not it. It's not the color. She said that's not it. [LAUGH] How important is a primer when you're putting on foundation? I personally don't use a primer. But I mean, it does what it's supposed to do. In the summer, I would probably say it's more useful. I mean, none of us here are caking it on. But for those that do a primer, it's good, because it will keep everything in place. It won't get cakey, or blotchy, or weird, What's the best way to apply your makeup. So if you use your fingers, a lot of experts say it's good, because [INAUDIBLE] adds warmth to the foundation, so it sits more as a second skin. You could use a beauty blender, or a sponge, or you can use a brush. I personally like my fingers, I just feel like it looks more natural. What do you guys use? A brush I use a brush. I use a brush too. I'm outvoted. Well this was fun, I think we all found a shade, or [MUSIC]